Thread for 'Cradle' Catholics - come out, come out wherever you are!

[Tinker]

Whenever there is a debate on mumsnet I'm always struck by how many Catholics there are so, out of interest:

1. Who was born into a Catholic family?

2. Who went to Catholic school?

3. Are you still a practising Catholic? If not ,why not?

4. Will you be sending your child to a Catholic school? If not why not?

5. Yes - both parents. Irish background for mother (teacher), English background, mostly, for father (probation officer)

6. Yes, run by nuns

7. Not at all. Things seriously didn't add up for me when I was about 17. Have moved further an further away from belief in god as I've got older.

8. Certainly not. Too much negative programming (my experince)

Anyone else? Non-catholic opinions welcome as well.

1. Mothers family was catholic

2. Yes - Convent!! 3. Go to Mass every other Sunday with DD. (Although insence is making me gag at the mo!!) 4. She goes to a Catholic School Pre-school and we are hoping to get her in there full time in September.

A lot of you seem to be of irish descent and I've noticed that the irish ctaholic experience seems very different to mine. Until we moved up here i had never encountered the fearsome irish priesta nd nuns that so many people post about. The approach I've come across seemed a lot more relaxed and about an individual's relationship with God (sounds almost protestant!); definitely not the judgemental experience with damnation for eternity that so many of you descibe. I find it quite sad and would love to know of anyone with positive experiences of Irish Catholicism (says she who goes to a church 5 miles away 'cos it's the only one with a non-Irish majority in these parts!)

1. Yes Father Catholic Mother C of E

2. Yes - then No Catholic Junior Catholic secondary for 2 years then C of E for 3 3. No - found them too condisending (sp)!(and self opinonated) 4. No - C of E had them christend Methodist, as we got married in methodist chapel. (DP also catholic)

1. yes

2. yes 3. sort of, semi-, wishy-washy, not sure, can't quite shake it off, haven't Really believed since I was about 12, but like it when I go (about once a month). Dh agnostic. 4. We can choose Moral/Anglican/Catholic/Jewish at school - ds is taking RC option, but he wasn't even christened, and we have to address the First Communion question within a year or so... Result = a big muddle!

1. Yes - both parents devout Catholics who cause me no end of problems as they don't believe I am devout enough.

2. Yes - infant, primary and secondary. 3. Yes 4. Hopefully if we can get her in as its very popular.

1. My nan was a practicising catholic, my mum had religious beliefs but not practising and I was baptised a catholic but not confirmed until I did it myself 2 years ago. Had to go to Catholic classes every Wednesday evening for a year. Used to go to church on a Sunday when I was in Kilburn at my nans house.

2. No I didn't go to a catholic school

3.I'm not practising at the moment! I was going when I was having my Catholic classes but even then not every Sunday. My social life is too demanding to get up early every Sunday if the truth be told!!!! How bad am I!!!!! I am thinking about making the effort again though and getting back up there.

4. Yes I want her to go to the local Catholic school. It has an amazing reputation inc with all the therapists and doctors who say they have a great attitude to special needs which is even better for us However if I don't get back up that church Father won't be signing my school form so......

1. Yes - irish background

2. Yes - all my life!! 3. Of varying degrees...infact am involved helping in the village CofE Sunday School!! 4. No - as now live down south and not a lot of catholic schools around. The nearest one ios miles away and can't see how I'd get there and to work in the oposite direction.....

Hi Marialuisa,
I come from an Irish catholic background and went to catholic schools all my life - I did not suffer from a "hell and damnation" religious upbringing either at school or at home/church. I know from discussing this popular belief with my mother that a generation ago the church was more like that. I can honestly say that I have not experienced that. My experience was more like you stated - your own personal experience with God.
My DH is a catholic and we were married in a catholic church.Both children were baptised catholics through our choice not because we thaught we should IYKWIM!!!
ironically enough I am now involved in the CofE in our village - helping out at Sunday School and attending the vilage "family Service" - this is a village/community thing rather than religious!!

Yes, was born into a Catholic family.

Yes, went to a Catholic school (various ones actually, most run by nuns)

Yes, am still a practising Catholic, although by all accounts I shouldn't be.

Yes I will be sending my child to a Catholic school, although I have no qualms about sending her to a non-Catholic one if this one turns out to be crap. She can always get her religious education at home.

My mother used to be a nun too! Obviously not a very good one though!

1. Who was born into a Catholic family?

Yes 2. Who went to Catholic school? Yes, a convent 3. Are you still a practising Catholic? If not ,why not? Go to mass occasionally, VERY occasionally. Reasons too long to post. 4. Will you be sending your child to a Catholic school? If not why not? Doubt it - despite excellent academic record would feel two-faced and also the amount of indoctrination that goes on worries me - not sure I could agree/back up what the school is saying. However, had elder dd christened so not sure what that says. And about to have younder dd christened, probably. Oh, dear - worry about inflicting religion on them if not 100% convinced.

1. Yup born into a Catholic family

2. Went to Catholic junior and senior school 3. Practise on & off, have been very good recently because of answer to question 4!! 4. Failed miserably - just got the letter on Saturday. Not that bothered tbh.

1. No - Ulster Protestant.

2. No - Ulster Protestant school until we moved to England when I was nine.

3. Am a wishy-washy agnostic now.

4. No particular desire to send my children to a "religious" school, agree with Twinkie about negative programming (it's not exclusive to Catholicism) and have seen the horrid effects of sectarianism at too close quarters to be comfortable with it.

My mum is catholic
i went to a catholic school
i don't go to church anymore or aggree with lots of the catholic faith
so, have sent my children to a c of e school (neither have been baptised)

Hi Marialuisa, the experience I had of catholicism was very positive in the sense that the religion taught wasn't very damning and hell-fire, it was a much more nurturing, user-friendly version - very benevolent and loving, but the people who were its ambassadors (the nuns and priests) were deeply unpleasant. It was very difficult to see from an early age, what possible connection the loving god they taught about had to do with vicious old Sister Martina! And unfortunately, it's very difficult to disentagle all the impressions afterwards.

From my side, the answers are:

1. No - essentially an atheist family, but brought up with a very strong set of ethical values and was told to think that God (in whatever religion) = good. Did go to an Episcopal Sunday School for a wee while, but I think that was more a social thing. (my brother went for a year longer, purely to go on the Sunday School picnic! )
2. No
3. Not applicable
4. Probably not - see education thread about sectarian concerns in the West of Scotland. However, his cousins are at a catholic primary school and if we can't get our placement request next year, then it's either there (at least his granny can then look after him after school as she already does her other young grandchildren) or a private school. (I'm between a rock and a hard place!)

My dh's responses would be

1. Yes
2. Yes. Secondary was an excellent Marist school - much better than those nasty Jesuits.
3. No. They're too much like sheep.
4. Possibly - at least he could be "looked after" by his cousins.

Meanbean you mean catholicism Lite

Late father Catholic (lapsed due to hatred of his Catholic school days) Mum C.of E
I didn`t go to catholic school due to dads experience.
I am a practicing catholic and love it! (have been eucharistic minister and am now little church teacher).
Children are at Catholic school.

1. yes, parents from Ireland

2. yes, RC comprehensive education 3. no, after about 14 yrs couldn't accept the double standards 4. no, have decided against rc education, also did not want dd to look like a bride of christ (first communion et al) as the image makes me uncomfortable

1- yes both parents .Irish father, English mother
2- Yes for primary , state secoundary and it was further ahead in basics ie. maths and English doing an hour of R.E a day wasn't going to help career prospects
3 No and my aunt/nun has ex-communcated me for having a child before being married.
4 Want children to meet a huge mixture of friends early in life. Although my primary school was a lovely school

Marialluisa, I do agree - but do you not think that you're enforcing views on tehm? I had a lovely time at my convent - went from four to 18n years and my cousin is a priest - ie, it's a huge family thing, but still worry?? My faith isn't strong enough to support the views. And, a horrribly obvious thing to say but it's so unprogressive. Women really do take a rather unproactive part in the faith. Views?

yes father roman catholic
no normal school thank god friend went to catholic school and rebeled from day one
no way scared ds might turn oout like friend a rebel all his life and ot being able to comit to things because of forsed pressure